James Harbeck is an outstanding writer and editor. I worked with James for 15 years at MediResource, where he ran the editorial department professionally and efficiently (and with a great sense of humour). He implemented several systems to ensure the highest efficiency and accuracy in our work. His writing and editing skills are top-notch and I could always rely on him for well-considered and practical answers to writing and editing questions. I would strongly recommend him as a freelance writer and editor.

—Patricia Rawn, PharmD

I write:

articles on language, linguistics, editing, and culture for several publications, including TheWeek.com, BBC.com, and Slate.com, as well as Sesquiotica (my own blog) and Strong Language (a group blog that I co-founded on linguistic analysis of vulgar language); each blog averages over 24,000 visits monthly and has thousands of followers and subscribers

consumer-oriented articles and print resources on health-related topics for companies such as MediResource and its clients

If you want to be confident that the work will get done on time and to the highest professional standard, hire James!

If you also want to be stunned and amazed by the brilliance and wit and humour and dazzling verbal virtuosity of the person you’re hiring, hire James!

I worked with this gifted designer/writer/editor for twelve years at the Literary Review of Canada and he always delivered with efficiency, style and pragmatism. Not to mention energy, dedication, talent and imagination.

Do yourself a favour: hire James!

—Bronwyn Drainie, Editor emerita, Literary Review of Canada

I design:

books – I have designed and typeset self-published books by several authors, including four of my own

educational resources – I have designed large information resource binders on conditions such as mucopolysaccharidosis, continuing education lessons for pharmacists in magazine form, and booklets on health care policy and national surveys

magazines – I designed the national magazine Literary Review of Canada for 18 years and I have designed the magazines and journals of several societies such as Abbeyfield Canada

ads – I have designed scores of ads for publication in magazines and newspapers

I have known James Harbeck in a range of contexts. At the Literary Review of Canada, where I have served as publisher and editor, he worked as designer, proofreader, writer and photographer. On several personal projects I hired him for he served as editor and designer. In all of these jobs, James has shown exemplary dedication, flexibility, intelligence and creativity – traits he brings to every aspect of his life. I highly recommend him.

—Mark Lovewell, Professor Emeritus, Ryerson University

I present and teach:

on editing, design, language, presentation, and performance for universities, colleges, conferences, corporations, and other interested groups. Topics I have covered include:

An appreciation of English: A language in motion

Desktop publishing workflow at warp speed

How to give presentations and speeches

Introduction to acting

A linguist’s guide to grammar

Our changing language: When does wrong become right?

Pronunciation tips on words from other languages

Test preparation: GRE, LSAT, GMAT, SAT

Things you should know about HTML

Translating medicalese into English

What flavour of English do you want?

Why is English spelling so weird?

When an error isn’t

When to use bad English

World drama in its context

Through his blog, his articles, his videos, his Twitter feed and his personal appearances, James Harbeck teaches his audience to be better communicators. He does this by giving them information and by giving them confidence to be themselves. He also teaches his fellow editors about the language we work with, making us better equipped to help others.

Throughout the editing community in North America, Harbeck has established himself as someone who needs no introduction. His contributions are as voluminous and varied as they are useful and enjoyable.

—Mark Allen, Executive board member, ACES: The Society for Editing

I perform:

on radio – I have played roles in radio dramas for the CBC and other broadcasters

on video – I do hosting and voice-overs for corporate videos, and I have a YouTube channel of my videos focused mainly on language

on stage – I have acted in numerous stage productions, and I sang with the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir for 15 years

I photograph:

I have photographed several events for the Literary Review of Canada and for the Spur Toronto festival; I have photographed projects such as Faces of Scarborough, a Nuit Blanche project for Diaspora Dialogues; I have a large portfolio at Flickr.com/sesquiotic and have published a book, TORONTO.

What I know

Software:

MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Project; I am well acquainted with Word’s wild card searches and style sheets and with many of the more arcane functions in Excel)

Adobe InDesign (I am also proficient with QuarkXPress but rarely use it anymore)

Master of Arts in Drama, Tufts University, 1995; thesis: Paratextual Pragmatics: A study of usages of printed parataxis in commercial and nonprofit theatre in Boston, 1993-4; excerpted in Semiotica

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drama, minor in Religious Studies, University of Calgary, 1988

Who I’ve worked with

As Senior Medical Editor at MediResource Inc., I oversaw an editorial team and edited, formatted, and managed a database of more than 10,000 consumer-directed health and lifestyle articles, plus consumer-directed clinical articles on more than 4500 drug brands, 350 health conditions, 120 natural health products, and 60 tests and procedures, all in both English and French. I oversaw the conversion of our articles for American audiences. I also worked on numerous client sites and projects; edited and laid out more than 100 continuing medical education lessons for pharmacists and doctors; edited, designed, and wrote articles for more than 50 patient-directed newsletters and health handouts; edited, converted to xml, and managed the process for a database of 600 articles on lab tests; edited, laid out, and oversaw print production of more than 20 full-colour information resources ranging in size from 8 to 172 pages; wrote marketing and promotional copy as well as feature articles and scripts; recorded and edited voice-overs; and set and maintained company-wide processes and standards. I also edited and maintained, and occasionally wrote for, a website on wine, food, and travel. Clients I worked with at MediResource include:

Apotex

AstraZeneca

Biogen

BioMarin

Canada.com

Canoe.ca

CCCEP (the Canadian Council on Continuing Education in Pharmacy)

Costco

CPhA (the Canadian Pharmacists Association)

Duane Reade

Dynacare

Genzyme

Great-West Life

Johnson & Johnson/McNeil Consumer Healthcare

Katz Group Canada Ltd. (including Rexall and Pharmasave)

Loblaws

London Drugs

Manitoba Blue Cross

Manulife

Medavie Blue Cross

Merck Frosst Canada Ltd.

The MPS Society (mucopolysaccharidosis)

Mylan

The National PKU Alliance (phenylketonuria)

Novartis

Novo Nordisk

Novopharm

Pacific Blue Cross

Pfizer

Quantum Health

ratiopharm

Shoppers Drug Mart

Shire

SIMD (the Society for Inherited Metabolic Disorders)

Teva Pharmaceuticals

Tony Aspler

Walgreens

I have also done independent editing and design for a variety of individuals as well as for companies and organizations including:

Abbeyfield Canada

Editors Canada (the Editors’ Association of Canada)

The Literary Review of Canada

Mensa Canada

My writing has appeared on websites and in magazines including:

BBC.com

BoingBoing

Huffington Post

NINK

Slate

TonyAspler.com

Urban Adventures

The Week

I have given presentations, classes, and webinars for organizations including: